3172 THA-Cambodia Schools produce journalists
austraLasia #3172
 


Being a Cambodian Journalist
Fr Albeiro Rodas
APIA: 18 December 2012 -- How to be a Cambodian journalist

A reporter from the The Cambodia Daily, the English speaking newspaper founded by US Bernard Krisher in 1993, will share his experience of journalism with the students of social communication and journalism from the Don Bosco schools in Sihanoukville and Kep on January 10.

Khuon Narim is no stranger to the group. It is the school of journalism where he was introduced to this world that requires a real attitude of vocation, courage and discipline to report on a country like Cambodia.

Khuon Narim, 24, belongs to the first group of Don Bosco communicators in the school created by Colombian journalist and Salesian of Don Bosco author of this article, in 2007 at the Sihanoukville port. An orphaned teenager of 18 he came, like many others, to try out in any of the Don Bosco technical sections and chose Sihanoukville because his village in Riem was just a few kilometers from the port city. Thinking in the beginning that it was just a section to study computer and English, he was attracted by what was called the social communication section.

The young reporter likes to visit his original school of journalism and many things have changed in his life over the last five years. He looks now like a reporter that has gone through all the Cambodian stories, including the conflicts and dreams of a country fighting for its own development, in many cases at significant cost. His English has become also fluent thanks to his daily contact with foreign journalists from Ireland, England, US and Australia working at The Cambodia Daily, one of the most popular newspapers in Cambodia.

He will be visiting the newest Don Bosco technical school in Kep City on Thursday 10th January to meet the students of communication from both Sihanoukville and Kep, who will listen to how a farm boy became a Cambodian journalist in an English speaking newspaper. 'People think that being a journalist is not easy and it is what I will explain to the students, so they get an idea, but to encourage them also to continue,'  he said by email.

Khoun Narim is one of a group of 64 past pupils of the Don Bosco schools of communication operating since 2007. The schools stress  journalism, communication skills, audiovisual and web development, and most of the past pupils are working in those areas with few exceptions. In addition to myself, (I come from Colombia, a country where journalism also needs courage), the school relies on the same Don Bosco past pupils and the ongoing participation of foreign volunteer experts in the area. In 2012 senior German radio reporter Wolfgang Bauernfeind and Dutch television journalist, Charles Schwietert, have dedicated their time to training the students in Kep and Sihanoukville respectively.